


Addicted

by Flyingbirdietimmy



Category: Batman - Fandom, Red Robin - Fandom, redhood and the outlaws
Genre: Addiction, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2019-04-23 18:19:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14338302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flyingbirdietimmy/pseuds/Flyingbirdietimmy
Summary: Tim’s love of coffee has become a problem. It’s time for an intervention...// Just a little something I posted on my Instagram account.. figured I’d share it here too :3





	1. Addicted

One... more.. sip...

He twitched, a motion that carried from his chest to his shoulders and almost caused the warm liquid to jump into his lap. Almost. Instead a few drops flew up and returned to their former place in the upset pool.

Or maybe not..

He instead set the mug down. When he drew his hand away he could see it shaking. And his head- oh his head- it was like that crazy mouse from that cartoon show- Speedy something-or-other- was running laps in his head while the cat with the lisp crashed into his precious store piles to cast everything in disarray. His eyes fell blankly on the screen before him and he tried to remember what he was doing.

Right! The missing person case. She had been last seen by the dock- no.. that wasn't correct. That was another case that he needed to work on after he finished this one...

Tim pulled the open file closer and stared at the image of a pretty brunette with a coy smile. She was still a teen and she had a history of getting tangled with the wrong crowd. But try as he might, Tim couldn't bring himself to discover anything beyond what was already printed on the paper in neat, computer dictated lines.  
Frustration gnawed at him and not for the first time that night he felt the urge to toss his laptop out the second story window. "Maybe I'm just tired. Maybe I need another sip..." his fingers were already wrapped around the ceramic vessel and he was drawing it closer to his lips, a trace smell of coffee wafting towards his nose like an invitation.

The door flew open and Tim started, but his vicelike grip on the cup prevented him from having to clean up a shattered mug. It was Dick and someone else Tim couldn't quite see yet. Tim didn't really care at the moment because the look on Dick's face was distracting enough. His eyes were wide and his face was pale, his expression looking much the same way as if he discovered a dead body in Tim's room. When Tim caught a glimpse of himself in the darkened computer screen he decided that that really wasn't too far from the truth. He had large bags under his eyes which contrasted greatly with his abnormally pale complexion. His hair was greasy and stuck up every which way- and though he couldn't smell it himself- Tim knew he stunk. Badly.

"You've been here for four days, Tim..." Dick seemed to have gotten over his shock enough to speak and Tim disliked how much it resembled the way he would speak to a hostile Damian. "Here.. give me the coffee and we'll help you get to bed."

"I don't think you understand how important this case is. This girl could die if I don't get to her in time." Tim responded, drawing the cup closer to his chest.

Dick bit his lip and looked back to his companion which Tim could now recognize as Jason. The resurrected Robin stepped forward. "Listen Timbers, we'll take the case from you. We're more concerned about you right now."

Tim narrowed his eyes at them and defiantly brought the rim of the mug to his lips, dragging a long and deliberate sip from it.

Right then they both struck, taking Tim down chair and all while the warm coffee went airborne until it splashed upon the three males. Tim screamed and thrashed, limbs blindly flailing in an attempt to strike something. The two older men had him pinned in very little time and Tim was left panting and seething. "Get off, screwballs! I need to work! Didn't you see my 'do not disturb' sign?"

"That paper with the strange scrawls on it? I thought that was a secret code you're working on." Jason snickered.

Tim growled and attempted to buck him off which only made Jason laugh harder. Dick nudged him and gave his head a minuscule shake as if to scold Jason for teasing him. "Listen Tim.. we're gonna send you away to someone who can hopefully help you with your- unhealthy patterns. He's gotten over some of his own things so we think it might be a good idea to spend some time with him."

Tim's struggles renewed. "No! You can't do this! Lemme go now!"

Dick sighed and nodded to Jason. Jason placed a cloth over Tim's mouth and nose. A sickly sweet scent filtered in and Tim could feel a weakness overtaking his body and stripping him of his consciousness. He screamed into the cloth until he passed out a few seconds later.  
~~~  
Tim stirred with a soft groan. His head ached and his mind was still a cluttered mess. He felt a puff of air against his cheek which caused his eyes to open and he /screamed/.

A grin spread across the features of the red head whose face was much too close to Tim's. "I thought maybe I'd try scaring you into some good habits." He leaned back and Tim sat up, rubbing his temples. 

"That won't work and you know it!"

"I do. I really just wanted to leave an impression." The archer smirked. "Did it work?"

"Yep." Tim responded sharply. "I will never forget this.. or those two idiots who think I need help."

Roy frowned and examined Tim. "Listen.. what you're doing... you could kill yourself."

Tim face contorted as if he'd just tasted something sour. "It wasn't nearly that bad!"

Roy sighed. "You never know if you've gone too far until it's too late.. and in the meantime you keep pushing the limits just to see where that line is. I've been there before. And you are getting dangerously close to the edge."

Tim crossed his arms, an indication that he really wasn't listening.

Roy rolled his eyes. "Whatever the case, you're trapped in here with me until you've displayed some notable improvement."

Tim eyes skimmed the room frantically. It looked like the kitchen of an apartment. He could surely break out of an apartment. He was on his feet in an instant, checking doors and windows which had all been secured by state of the art Wayne technology that Tom himself had a hand in designing. He wouldn't be getting out of here.. not like that.

He returned to Roy. "You're trapped in here with me.. I bet if I threatened your life I could make an opening. They must think I'm crazy anyways.

The corner of Roy's lips quilted up. "You're not due for a breakdown yet. You haven't torn the place down in search of caffeine."

Tim remained unamused. He spent the rest of the day ignoring Roy while searching every inch of the place for an escape route. Maybe he was looking for the wrong route though... Roy likely had some way out. He called his search quits and settled on the couch to watch tv. Roy sat in a chair on the other side of the room playing with something in his hands that Tim couldn't quite make out in the dark. 

Maybe that was it though.. the master key...

He waited until Roy had fallen asleep, then crept over to him. He took Roy's closed hand a carefully opened to fingers and was then disappointed to see it was just string in a package that was probably replacement for his bow. "Didn't find what you're looking for?"

Tim was so startled he staggered back, his face responding by flushing brightly. "I- um-!" He straightened and pulled himself together. "I will find a way out!"

Roy chuckled. "Yeah.. by admitting you have a problem and working towards fixing it. Trust me. That's the only way this is going to work."

Tim bit his lip. That was too time consuming... he needed another way.


	2. Addicted to you

Tim felt a thread connected to his chest to some unknown source. The pressure was always there but the thread itself was invisible. At times the pull would be significantly strong and seemed to cause his chest to constrict. At other times he was okay and able to distract himself with some menial task around the apartment. Roy would occasionally attempt to communicate with Tim, but for the most part Tim brushed him off and there was a part of him that relished the disappoint and dejection he could see creeping into Roy's demeanour. Good. If Tim had to be miserable, Roy did too.

The first couple days were uneventful. Tim was still seeking a way out but he'd mostly made that a subconscious task. It had been getting difficult to focus on much of anything with the thread growing stronger and more insistent in his tugging. 

The first time it got really bad was on day four. Tim charged into the kitchen and threw open every cupboard door, throwing the contents onto the floor. He just /had/ to find some coffee somewhere! Surely there was something!

His movements steadily became more wild. Roy let him tear apart the kitchen, watching with a saddened expression until Tim just collapsed on the floor with an angry cry of frustration that quickly turned to real tears.

Roy knelt beside him and rubbed his back. "I know... it's hard. But it's 100 times worse to overcome if you feed it."

Tim weakly swatted at him in an attempt to push him away but the effort proved to be futile. "I /never/ asked for this! I was /fine/!" He insisted.

Roy's hand paused for a moment while he carefully considered his words. "Were you? Tim.. think.. if you're reacting this strongly to having it taken.. you're very addicted. Is this really what you want?"

Tim curled in on himself and responded with a weak "Yes?"

Roy picked the smaller male up and took him to his designated room. "Listen.. it sucks. Okay? You're constantly at odds with yourself because part of you wants it and that usually happens to be the stronger side. But for every battle you win, the part that knows this isn't good for you grows stronger and strengthens your resolve. I can't make your choice for you. You gotta choose to fight it or you'll relapse and your addiction will be strong enough to kill you."

Tim was trembling. He pulled the blankets if the torn up bed tight around himself. "I can't.. I need it.."

Roy sat on the edge of the bed. "You don't. You have enough will in there to resist. I know you do. You're strong. I've seen it firsthand and I've heard the stories from both Jason and Dick."

They were both silent for awhile before Roy got up, Tim feeling it through the sudden rising of the mattress because he hadn't been able to face Roy.

All night he tossed and turned, the pull of the thread now gnawing at him. He had heard stories about addictions to bad that taking away the cause resulted in some people losing their sanity. Ruefully he smiled and reminded himself that he'd lost that a long time again- if he ever had it to begin with.

The second time Tim lost it was the following morning. He had risen and gone through the motions of setting up his phantom coffee maker before realizing he didn't have a coffee maker. His fists clenched and his limbs shook so badly he was forced to sit down.

Roy brought him tea in a mug after he'd settled enough that he stopped shaking. The gesture touched Tim enough that he finally decided to try being social. "How did you do it..? Kick the addiction I mean.."

Roy shrugged and sat in a chair across from Tim. "For the longest time I couldn't. I tried on my own but I was never strong enough. I just kept relapsing. I guess Jason is why I stopped. He cared that I was hurting myself and I started caring that I was hurting him through my actions. It wasn't easy. It never is. By I approached him and asked him for help. I haven't touched the stuff since."

Tim sipped his tea and set it aside. "Do you ever still feel like you want to?"

Roy winced. "I have days... where I'm tempted. But the hardest part is finished so I can resist it."

Tim nodded, satisfied with that answer. "Thank you for doing this Roy.. I think I'd like to kick this habit."

Roy smiled and the progress began.  
~~~  
It takes somewhere around a month for the body to reset whether that be a sleeping pattern or- an addiction. So Tim spent the next few weeks working with Roy to reset himself. The first few days following his resolution, Roy kept him inside. When he realized that Tim was serious, he began to take him outside the apartment to see and do things that kept Tim's mind occupied. During this time, something else was beginning to form.. some sort of deep bond/appreciation. Tim seemed to make it his mission to learn all he could about his companion down to the basics like favourite colour or the complicated things like 'if you were stranded on a desert island with one thing what would it be?'. When the same question had been sirens on him, Tim had smirked and said "You of course." An answer that shocked Roy and also indicated that Tim might be beginning to develop some strong feelings for Roy.  
After that the mood of their outings seemed to change a little. There was playful teasing and flirting.. until there wasn't.   
~~  
The thread was cut and Tim was free. Tomorrow he'd return to his old life.. one without Roy. Tonight he waited by the door to the apartment and held his hand out to Roy. "Tonight I treat you.. you've done so much for me and I want to thank you."

The archer eyed him cautiously but nodded and accepted his hand, shaking it in a finalish act of farewell. He opened the door via retinal scanner (of course...) and the two walked out, side by side. Tim directed Roy to a reputable establishment that served fine meals at a cost that bordered on unreasonable. He knew the archer wouldn't be able to afford anything like on his own and there was the possibility he would feel a sense of displacement. But Tim wanted to express his gratitude.  
~  
Nothing happened over the course of the dinner. It had merely been chalked up to two friends talking. Following the meal, Tim took Roy down to the docks and climbed aboard a small boat which he took out until the stars the coast was a minimal stripe across the horizon and the stars hung low, glittering like diamonds. Tim leaned against the side of the vessel, staring at the distorted reflecting for a few long minutes before he forced himself to look at Roy, addressing the building anticipation. "Over this past while you've been an invaluable friend and ally to me..." he paused to gather his courage. "But I think there's something more between us." Here he slowly took Roy's hand, fitting their fingers together. "There's a connection.. something I haven't experienced with anyone else before. Roy, I feel like you /know/ me.. and understand me. I would like you by my side for this path that stretches before me.. so- would you consider officially taking me on as your boyfriend?"  
~~  
The rest of the night was spent hand in hand, head resting against head. The newly formed couple stayed on the water until the pinks of dawn bled into the blues and blacks of the night sky. “Gee Roy, I think I have a new addiction... I’m addicted to you~”  
~Fini~


End file.
